Separately, intense clashes continued to rage on Saturday between the fighters of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the IS in several towns in the surrounding of the predominantly Assyrian city of Tal Tamr in the northeastern province of Hasaka, said the observatory.

It said the IS attempted to advance toward several areas in that part of the country amid reports of losses on both conflicting sides.

The militant group recently attacked several areas in Hasaka, capturing around 200 Assyrians from their towns in that province.

Mediations between the Christian Assyrians and the IS were underway recently for the release of the abductees with no confirmed reports on their fate.